


Elemental Paradox

by Kurovix



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Angst, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Graphic Description, Minor Character Death, Psychological Torture, Psychological Trauma, mild PTSD
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-18
Updated: 2015-08-22
Packaged: 2018-04-15 11:48:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4605585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kurovix/pseuds/Kurovix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He was the sun and she was the moon. The beginning simple, innocent at first, but like all things in life, even <i> innocence </i>will to fade. Replaced by malice and harsh lessons learned by cruel experiences with the tick of time. She was once a friend, a lover and salvation he never thought that she <i>could</i> be. He was her strength, companion, love, and <b>doom.</b> Together they would dance around the edges of what they could be, then what they would want to be, each refusing to fall into the pit before them. They balance themselves onto the edge of their demise, certain to fall once they cross the line and succumb to the very thing they fear; <span class="u"><i>Each other.</i></span></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Innocence

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter 1 is going to introduce my lovely muse Elena and her tragic ~~And graphic~~ start. Familiar names and faces are bound to show up as the series goes on, I hope you all enjoy my own dive into brotherhood series. Also, yes, Kimblee is the other focus here, cuz our mad bomber could srsly use some patients and lovin's too right?  
> 

        **I** n the valley, there lied a small city that prospered from its trade near central and was known for its wealthy schools called Logia. In this city, there was a scandal of recent homes being set aflame, the perpetrator still yet to be found. In one home in particular, the house was set ablaze purposely to hide what the world shouldn’t see. The house was built with sturdy walls of brick and strong oak, the pride of the workers who had built it for the alchemist. From the threshold entered a young girl, copper-red locks falling down her shoulders and tied into a thick braid. Eagerness to express her day made her run to her father in the living room, only to see he wasn’t there. A black Mau whined for attention, Elena reaching down to lift the kitten in her arms. “Jacky where’s daddy?” The cat provided no answer, purring when her small fingers scratched beneath her chin.

“Maybe downstairs?” She ventured, wandering to the steps that lead further down to the basement of the house. Twisting the knob, she pried the door open by a few inches, her face flushing at the heavy frame. Jacky hissed her black fur on edge and scampering out of her arms. The girl stumbled back with a yelp of pain, sudden claws sharpening and leaving a mark on tender flesh. Jacky fled back up the steps; Elena held her injured arm delicately. The girl frowned making her way passed the cracked opening, unaware of what could have startled the small kitten so. The room had been crafted by her father’s design to be both his office and workspace. She was used to seeing the high shelves of books that reached the ceiling, normally expecting his focused back bent over his desk. Passing one tall shelf, she felt something wet seep into her sandal-was it water? Blinking, she lifted he foot to see the pale slipper stained red. Wet, but slimy to the touch of her fingertip, the color a bleary red. _What was this?_

Heavy breathing reached her ears, freezing Elena where she stood by the dark shelf. She raised her head, hoping that it had been some vial he might’ve concocted and dropped in one of his fits. She noticed his back, hunched over and his shoulders shaking with each ragged breath. A strange giggle made him tremble, the man muttering softly beneath his breath words the girl couldn’t decipher. From one of the deeper scratches, strings of blood oozed down her arm. It collected at the edge of her elbow, pulled by the invisible force of gravity and staining the floor in a few spots. Elena noticed then, how it matched the same bleary crimson on her sandal. Had that been blood? Why blood?

She knew only from what her father had mentioned in terms of the alchemic arts, but knew enough that any and all alchemy that involved blood was never good. So why?

“D.. Daddy?” She felt her arm tremble, feeling small and timid from the strange pressure in the air. There was something different about her father, something alien in how he had stiffened. When he turned, his dark russet hair had been tousled and disheveled, sweat decorating his brow and neck. The kind wrinkles etched by the corner of his eyes now deeply rooted along the sides of his mouth as well, but no longer kind as before. When he smiled, it brought a deeper chill down the young girls spine, her doe eyes widening then even as her father outstretched his hand.

“Kitten..” He called, using his term of endearment to keep her gaze. “ _Sweet child_ you are. I have wonderful news.. Wonderful news..” His brow drew down when she stepped closer, holding her arm. “Did you hurt yourself, kitten?”

That was father’s voice, his way of greeting her. Swallowing, she nodded solemnly. “Jacky scratched me.” It wasn’t until then that she realized tears had swarmed her vision, the pain of the scratch settling in. “It.. It hurts.”

When he turned, she had instinctively ran to his arms, burrowing her nose into his chest as a small whimper fell from her lips. “Ah.. there, there kitten. Daddy will fix that right up.” He assured her by petting her arm. Elena had been so silly, being fearful of her father. How could she have been such a fool. From his coat, he pulled out a patch, telling her to get the ointment on the shelf near them. Doing as she’d been instructed, she waited as her father applied the ointment over her injury, then placed the patch over the skin. “That should do it now. No more tears now kitten, I have the best of news for you.”

Looking up from his large palm, she watched as he smiled, exhaustion setting into the faded grey hues of her father. “What is it daddy? Did you finish a project?”

“Better than that kitten, I’ve brought back something we both find precious.” He waved to the door to the side of his desk. Small fingers clung to his coat, noting then how the ends of his jacket had a strange stain of brown. Was that coffee? He didn’t smell anything like the usual smoky tinge of it, but of something else. Something more musky and metallic to the tongue.

He moved to open the door, a mad sense of delight shining in his eyes. “I brought back mother kitten. Beloved mother!” When the door had swung open to hit the wall, the alchemists’ daughter froze in place. “It took me some time, gathering the right amount of blood and so on, but I managed on doing it!”

Sitting in the chair was a woman, wearing the familiar blue linen dress that Elena had fond memories of. Scarlet locks falling in graceful waves down her shoulders and back, enough so that for a full heartbeat, she felt it was **_her_**. “M.. Mommy..?” She whispered, choking back the urge of tears. The woman’s fingers twitched on her lap, her head still bowed, but she didn’t move. “Mommy's not fully recovered yet kitten, but she will be. And when mommy better, we can be the same as we used to be.”

Something felt wrong, oh so **very** wrong. Elena remembered her mother’s passing a few months ago, specifically one full month before her birthday. When she had returned home from school, Elena went to the kitchen expecting to see her mother with a prepared snack upon her arrival. Instead, she had seen crimson hair staining the floor, her mother feverish and pale. By the time a doctor had arrived to the scene, her mother was gone from the world. Lost forever by the reapers hand.

Elena had dealt with the loss on her own. Her father had isolated himself in his office and all but forgot his child. It was only a few weeks afterwards that he had began to re-notice her, commending her on cooking and apologizing softly to her for his forgetfulness. For a while, she had believed that things would be alright. She would go to school, he’d wave her off, and when she came back, he’d be there waiting with the afternoon paper and coffee. She thought they would finally _heal_ and be happy.

Seeing the image of her mother; ghostly pale and scarlet hair a dull hue of its original vibrant color. That wasn’t her mother. As much as a part of her wanted to believe it was true, that **wasn’t** her mother.

“Kitten? Are you crying?” Her father laughed, petting her head. “Yes yes, it must be hard seeing mother after she disappeared from us for so long. But it’s alright. Things are better now, so much better now that mommy is back.” The tears wouldn’t stop rolling down her cheeks. He rested his hands on her shoulders, guiding her further toward the woman he claimed was mother. “Marian. It’s Elena dear, remember her? Our beloved little kitten?”

Again, the hands twitched. She watched with fascinated horror as the hand rose. Was that stitching she saw on her fingers? The fingers oddly clammy in color, as if cut into pieces then sewed back together. The hand on her head left her trembling, the girl realizing then the anxiety that overwhelmed her. **Fear**. It had a cold grip on her vocal chords, immobilizing her on the spot and sealing away her voice. She was afraid of this man she called father and afraid of the creature before her. It wasn’t her mother, but something more terrifying and monstrous.

Had father created a Hommunculi? She had read that in one of his books, the humans fabricated by alchemical means-but such things were myths! His earlier words lingered in her mind, echoing a loud reminder. ‘ _It took me some time, gathering the right amount of blood and so on, but I managed on doing it!_ ’ She remembered the announcements in school, how the teachers warned their students to be cautious of their homes. To ensure all doors and windows were locked to prevent fires.

The missing women. The homes that were set ablazed.  Everything that was on the afternoon paper for more than a few weeks now, all describing the dangers within the city. The danger of a madman or a cult, but Elena knew then there was only one answer to all these criminal activities. The thoughts raced through the young prodigy’s mind. Did her father really do all this? Could he really be capable of all this? She felt panic bubbling just beneath her chest, remembering the way he had laughed and grinned at his accomplishment. It was madness. The warmth she expected to emit from her fake mother or even her father’s palms, were cold.

It was as if when her mother died, so had her father. Something in her cracked. The young girl’s fantasies shattering with her dreams. She inhaled, and took a numb step backwards, the pieced up hand falling from reach.

“Kitten what’s wrong?” When her gaze had flickered upward, she saw her father gazing at her with concern, and yet, he didn’t look like her father. Not the kind man who often overworked himself with his studies and theories, often earning a soft scolding from mother, but always there to read her to sleep. Turning her head, the child took another step forward, a small hand lifting the few red hairs, noticing how they varied in different shades of red. When she met the woman’s eyes, they weren’t the hazel hue that shined brightly with life. 

No these were the eyes of a monster. A creature of mysterious origin locked in a shell, silently screaming in pain. Tears rolling unchecked from her eyes. “See kitten? She recognizes you. She’s even crying.”

“Ah…” The voice wasn’t like her mother either, it was rough and husky, not at all soft and tender like she remembered. Elena stepped away, bumping into her father’s legs then stumbling back when she began to tremble. “Kitten? What’s wrong kitten? Why aren’t you smiling?”

Fear outweighed her panic, rushing her heart straight to her head. “T… Tha..” Her voice cracked, and again, her father turns to her with a look of paternal concern. Elena shook her head when he reached out, tears flowing unchecked down her childish face. “A-Ah..”  The woman rose up from her seat, gaining her father’s attention. “See kitten? Even mommy is concerned.”

She screamed, scrambling past the desk and knocking over the oil lamp. It shattered on the floor, the wick sparking a flame over the scattered pages. “Kitten! What have you done?!” Elena stumbled, feeling numb and lost even as she crashed into several pillars of books. “Kit-Elena wait!” She couldn’t. Wouldn’t. Her father tried reaching out, to capture her ankle while pursuing her, sending more messy piles of paper to the floor. The fire began to spread even more.

“A-ah..!” The father stopped in his chase, recalling his beloved and rushing to her side. Elena watched in petrified horror as he lifted her up from the burning oils, trying to put out the flames on her skirt. A quick glance to her side, and she knew she was close to the door. The child in her wanted to go and save her father, save them, but she felt too afraid of the man sitting there and holding the woman he claimed as her mother.

“Kitten.. Why? Why did you try to hurt mommy? Didn’t you love her?” When he looked at her, Elena half expected anger, but instead, saw tears. The tears of a desperate man, the image tearing a hole through her chest. “D-Daddy.. Th-That’s.. That’s not mommy. Daddy please..” She begged him, her vision blurring between more tears and smoke. “W-We need to go.. The fire..” Elena moved further away, closer to the door.

“I won’t leave mommy kitten. I can’t leave mommy..” He smiled, “I could never leave mommy’s side.” And he cradled his creation in his arms, uncaring of the flames that began to lick at his coat and surroundings. He looked so blissed, holding the corpse tenderly and tightly.

Elena ran. She used her strength to pull the door open and ran away from the two of them. She ran away from her home and once the cool air of the outside world hit her-She screamed. She howled and pleaded to the sky for help.

When her neighbors approached, they saw the girl sobbing with her clothes ruined. Her eyes wide with fear and obvious panic. “S-Save him! S-s-save m-muh-my dadd-daddy, p-pleaze.” She quaked, the smoke from the basement rising out the windows. The girl watched the stroke of time speed up. Everything had happened so fast, yet she felt like she hadn’t moved from the spot. Her neighbor was a woman by the name of Anna, elderly but kind and a former friend of her mother. She stayed beside her even as the fire department, police and medics appeared, each rushing to accomplish their own respective duties.

Elena remembers seeing a firefighter bring out a body, the smoke veiling which-her father or the stitched woman? The nurse that had tried talking to her had checked her for injuries, but upon trying to touch her arm, Elena moved away. She didn’t want anyone touching her. Not now. When she saw the hand fall from the lift, a silver band on a thick finger, her world went black.


	2. Bonds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Young Elena is now an orphan thanks to her father's attempt in trying to revive her mother. Feeling alone and lost in the world, she is taken in by her neighbor and family friend and while returning to her usual routine. She makes a decision and possibly, a friend?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaand moving on to chapter 2~. Now not a lot is known about Kimblee's past, let alone where he comes from or why he thinks the way he does. I have a couple of theories and please feel free to share any opinions or thoughts on young kimblee when he's introduced. I'd **love** to hear your opinions~.

 When Elena woke up, she found herself in an unfamiliar room, something soft and cool resting atop her head. Shifting upright, Jackey moved to rest beside her lap, the feline purring its concerns for the girl. Quietly, she petted the feline, eyes narrowing at the faded foreground. When she blinked, it was gone. She learned that Nanan, her neighbor, had insisted that she stay at her granddaughters’ room and rest there then in the hospital. The elderly woman, had traveled to Amestris after leaving the capital of Xing. Her dark hair with bits of gray often tied in a loose bun or a low braid. She often wore simple dresses or a xingese dresses. She was kind and comforting, patiently watching over the girl who refused to speak, though Nanan understood. Such an experience on a child would surely leave scars.

Elena eventually told Nanan, albeit softly, that she wanted to see her home after two weeks of staying indoors. Nanan had woken up several times a night hearing a sob or wail from the girl, often fretting and assuring she was safe. The old woman learned late that she took silent comfort in sleeping with someone than alone. She had Elena move from the room to rest in her own bed, the girl resting better then, minus the occasional whimper. When they stood before the house, it still looked remotely the same, bricks and old oak walls. She stepped inside, holding Jackey close in her arms, the kitten didn’t protest.

She didn’t say a word while walking about the house with obvious familiarity. Nanan watched how she followed the smoke stained walls, soot having turned the former pastel blue to dingy grey and black. The wooden door leading to the basement was sealed, a yellow tape drawn over it. Elena glanced at Nanan expectantly. “Did the officers say we couldn’t enter?”

Nanan nodded, “That’s right child. I believe the military will be coming over to see if they can salvage any findings of your father.”

“They won’t find anything.” Elena’s statement matter of fact, Nanan half expected the child to dare venture down the steps, but instead, she watched her move away from the steps and upstairs to another room. The room a light blue, the interior set maple wood and a soft scent filled the room. “Nanan.. What will happen to me now?” The girl asked, Jackey now padded about the room while she opened the drawer to an old desk. Nanan sighed softly, the thoughts crossing her mind several times over. “I.. I’m not entirely sure dear. Do you know of any other relatives?”

“No.” Another simple answer, the girl focused on opening the drawers to a certain length, a noticeable click echoing in the room. “Elena dear, what are you doing?”

“Taking my father’s research.” With a final click, a secret drawer popped open from the side, startling the older woman. There was a thick green book with a few papers sticking out of it. Elena picked the book up and held it to her chest. A shadow of warmth briefly entering her gaze, but it was gone just as quickly as it appeared. That book was all she had left about her family, that and a hollow home.

Nanan helped her gather her clothes into a suitcase, watching as she ignored grabbing a picture frame or anything she didn’t necessarily require. “Elena dear.. Don’t you want to take a picture? I don’t mind you bringing them home with me.” Elena shook her head, opening a jewelry box that held several trinkets in it. She pulled at a silver pendant, and then walked to Nanan after shutting the musical box, “Nana. We can go now.”

Since then Nanan never once saw Elena take another _step_ into that house. The house she grew up in with two loving parents, a family, all swept away with the smoke. When the military came to investigate the scene, they barely found anything salvageable within the basement. However, the house was never torn down. It stayed abandoned and empty of any people. Elena now stayed with Nanan, the two taking care of one another. Nanan grew fond of how Elena would prepare her breakfast and tea, watching carefully how she’d use the stepstool to cook. Little by little, day by day, she was healing.

She would still get nightmares, but that was understandable. Even if the flesh healed, a few scar's _lingered_. As she grew a bit more, eventually not needing the stepping stool to cook, Nanan could see the scar on her arm clear as day. To others, it was a faint line, but to Elena, that scar was a mark of her history. Nanan prayed each night for the child’s soul, hoping that the gods would help ease away at the young girls torments. That each demon that would rise within her soul would be quelled and slain. Before Nanan could’ve guess, she reached the delicate age of thirteen and goodness, she knew when the girl became a woman. She would be beautiful, perhaps more so than her mother.

Elena’s scarlet hair took the life of fire, darker in her roots that stretched out and fading to her tips. Wide eyes framed by thick lashes that veiled mercury gray orbs, complimenting her sun-kissed skin. She wore a button down blouse, held in by a dark skirt that swayed around her knees and boots that strapped up her calves. Nanan fixed her shawl and patiently sat at the patio, watching her walk to school, every now and again catching the girl glance back over her shoulder. She’d offer a shy nod of her head, one that Nanan would return with a kind smile while stroking Jackeys fur.

“My.. How she’s grown.”

 

* * *

 

 

Today had proved no different than her other days in school. She would listen to the lectures and take down her notes and finish her homework during lunch. She was a bright girl from what her professors had said, asking her if she’d like to skip her grades and she had given them the answer of “Maybe”, wanting to debate on the merit of the idea more. Classmates aside, she had no genuine friends to call her own, not when they were fearful of the ‘child of tragedy’. Even a few professors in her earlier years had given her the similar looks of pity and pathetic sympathy.

Yet today had been different, she had found some curious notes in a book she’d been checking out from the library near her school. It was a note addressed to a “Kimblee”, though she never knew the person herself.  So she waited a bit more in the library, deciding to finish the circle in the note herself and adding her own brief explanation to it. If it was offensive, then it needed certain elements, and if it was defensive, it needed the opposite elements of its offensive counterpart. She signed “Drakul” and returned the book to its original spot.

Upon returning the next day, she saw that a new note was left on the book. In rather elegant penmanship, this “Kimblee” wrote;

 _“Not bad. Not bad at all. Though I like your offensive one more, but the fact that you found a way to create a counter-circle is impressive.”_ - ** _Kimblee_**

With the note, she spotted on the other side another circle that needed completion. Was this person testing her? She vaguely wondered if this was another girl who excelled in alchemy or at least the study of alchemy. There weren’t many women in the military to begin with and not many women were alchemist either. It was so unusual an idea that she would be shy to study this in public eyes. Eyeing the transmutation circle and the symbols the mystery person wrote beside them, Elena silently accepted the challenge. Visiting the library became a habit and she found herself exchanging answers with this “ _Kimblee_ ”. Every now and again she’d get a new circle, one more challenging then the last and a few compliments on how clever she’d been or hints to expand her theories. Through their writing, she learned that Kimblee was a clever and a bit egoistic, choosing their words carefully in answering her and yet, she could tell there was a mutual intrigue between them.

Eventually she wondered what this person looked like. Gathering her courage, she wrote out;

 _“Can we meet? I’m curious to learn about you_. _” – **Drakul.**_

When she returned the following evening, she had planned on going into the secluded area of the library to spy the clever woman. Only she saw a young man holding the book over his chest, arms crossed as he leaned by the shadow of the wall. Feigning that she was looking for another book, her eyes drifted to the male. He had black hair that fell along the upper edge of his temple and down to his ears, hair growing by the looks of it still since a portion fell past his neck. His face more masculine than boyish for someone she figured was about fifteen, his eyes narrowed and a sharp blue. He wore a black button down and casual blue jeans and shoes. Handsome as he might be in her eyes, she was focused on somehow gaining the book in his hand and reading her mystery challenger's response.

Skimming a finger along the hard edges of the old books that clearly didn’t draw as much attention as they should, she nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard a husky voice speak. “Drakul?”

Turning her gaze, her eyes went wide in stunned surprise. “… _Kimblee?_ ” She ventured, brows rising. Wait so, Kimblee was a boy’s name? He looked just as startled as she probably looked herself. Though he was quicker to recover, Elena didn’t miss how his gaze traveled over her form.

“I thought Drakul was a man’s name.” He frowned, something in that irking her. “What kind of girl is named Drakul?”

“Well I thought Kimblee was a girl.” She countered, hands on her hips, chin raised. She was proud of her family name. “What kind of boy is named Kimblee.”

“Well that’s because my first name is Zolf sweetheart.” She watched as he gave her a lazy smile that reminded her a bit of Jackey back home. “Elena..” She informed him, watching how he lifted his hand then to her. She hesitated, slipping her smaller hand to his and clasping it then. A flicker of interest passed over his blue eyes and she noticed how her hand was much smaller than his own.

Taking back her hand, she figured that’d be as good of an introduction that they’d exchange. Still, a part of her couldn’t help but be thrilled at finally meeting the one who kept giving her those challenging alchemic formulas and circles. It had brought her back to the days when she was younger and her father had already begun preparing her mind for the alchemic ways. Specifically, his own. “Care to walk with me?” He offered, placing the book back to its proper resting place to then lock his blue gaze with her. She nodded, unable to deny the sense of curiosity that overwhelmed her. Elena followed Kimblee out of the library, once past the double doors, he spoke up.

“So why the interest in alchemy?”

“I could very well ask you the same thing, ah..” She paused, tilting her head at him. “Would you prefer Kimblee or Zolf?”

He looked a bit surprised at her formality, a similar questioning expression filling his own face. “Well what would you like to be called?”

“Elena’s fine.” She shrugged, to which he nodded solemnly. “Fine then. Call me Zolf if you like.” They continued their casual pace down the cobblestone path. “And to answer your earlier question, alchemy is something that’s intrigued me since I was a boy. It's like a puzzle that I wanted to crack and decode the more complicated it got.”

“Ah that’s true.” Elena nodded, “There’s a sense of artistry I guess in the way you can combine some formula’s together to make a solid combination, lethal or not.” And his earlier metaphor of how the combinations of various formulas being like puzzles to be solved explained a few points in alchemy beautifully.

Zolf gave her a more curious look, “What do you know of alchemy so far?”

“It’s an art in manipulating and altering matter by using the natural energy, well, transmutation at least.” She began, her gaze lingering on the sky then, “The three main parts of all alchemy is comprehension, deconstruction and reconstruction. However, you need more than brains to use alchemy. Understanding chemistry and ancient alchemical theory is one part of the problem, but you also need a sort of natural talent towards recognizing and manipulating the physical objects with energy. Something only a few people with uncommon levels of intelligence and aptitude. Those are Alchemist.”

Zolf whistled in low appreciation, clapping his hands. “My my, seems you got a bright head on your shoulders there Elena. How old are you?”

“ _Thirteen_.” She bristled. 

“And you know this only because you studied alchemic books?” The question sounded polite, but rhetorical to her ears. She felt her brow twitch, was he really this arrogant? Hmph, she wasn't some average bookworm! “No..” She answered quietly, fixing the strap of her bag. “It’s because those words were engraved to me. I grew up learning alchemy.”

“So either one of your parents is an alchemist or you had a teacher.”

“A little bit of both actually.” Her mercury gaze locked on his. “Why do you ask Zolf? Is it because you have no teacher or do you want to quiz me further to see how much you can pry out of me?” To her surprise, he laughed. The sound completely male and leaving a strange tingle down her spine. He was definitely teasing her wasn't he? She couldn’t help but notice how his features softened some with that laugh, drawing the attention of a few of the passing girls here and there.

“Well aren’t you a clever little vixen?” He mused, the mirth of his laughter still shimmering in his blue eyes. “And honestly I was just testing you out to see if you really _were_ the same Drakul I’ve been giving puzzles to.”

“Well I _am_ and your formulas were a tad different, but not as complex as I thought they’d be.” She crossed her arms over her chest, face warm. _How rude!_

“I’ll have to step up my game then.” At his grin, her brows rose. Step up? “What do you mean?” She blinked.

“Well Elena, how do you feel about learning alchemy?” She almost lost her footing. Whirling around to face him, her eyes snapped wide, narrowing seconds later with pure suspicion. “You're _teasing_ me.” _Ass._

“Nope. I’m very serious.” He placed a hand on his chest, piercing blue eyes locking on her face. “I’ll even give you my word. A man's word is his vow.” She swallowed. There was just something.. Something dangerous about him that made the hair on her neck stand. And yet.. Her heart continued to pound against her cage so much, maybe she'd break a rib? Could she trust this person? The one she's been exchanging notes and diagrams with for the past few weeks?

No one else was around to help her study.. Perhaps there'd be something to gain in being with him. Yes, perhaps they'd find their own use in each other. “Then,” She eyed him skeptically, but there was a flicker of want in her gaze. Beneath her aloof exterior was a girl who craved knowledge. A girl who wanted to know more, no matter what the cost! She held out her hand to him. “We have a deal Zolf.” And so, she shook hands with the devil in disguise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I totally imagine a bad-boy smooth talking teen of a kimblee who was already preparing to join the military and setting his sights on a prodigal girl with promising talent~. So what could possibly go wrong right? Yay or nay on lil kimblee~ (and lets be real, when you think 'kimblee' you also think 'kimberly' and tbh that reminds me of pink ranger from power rangers but that's another story~.) Rate and review~!  
> Disclaimer: Fmab characters do not belong to me~.


	3. Relationships

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elena and Kimblee's relationship deepens as they study one another and learn more about each other. Days turn to weeks, weeks to months, but what will time unfold now? The two give each other brief glimpse as to what lurks under their skin. Kimblee also learns that he might be a touch more possessive of his rising pupil then he realizes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Fmab ~

Time proved to be a fickle thing as of late with Elena. The more she studied with Kimblee, the more it escaped her senses and surroundings. Kimblee didn’t even need to start at the basics of alchemy, or even the fundamentals. They both focused straight to the point of practicing transmutation circles, he once showed her a series of fireworks with a few stones he had experimented on. The same was when she surprised him with her own studies of alchemy and how she made a tree grow after it absorbed some water from the stream. He specialized in offensive alchemy and she in the more earthy elements and their uses.

Elena learned much about Kimblee as the weeks turned to months between them. She was quick to learn of his ego and his passion, but found out that she was no different in striving for her own goals. He was sharp, quick in fixing any calculative mistake done on her part and she would balance him with more finesse. He eventually told her that he has been taking military training since he was a child, thus offering to help train her defenses as well.

Zolf was agile, quick on his feet and never wasting a move unless to divert the attention of his prey with a surprise attack. Elena became wise in learning how to avoid his swings and read his movements, she knew better then to trust his faints and focus on the bigger hits. She proved to be quite acrobatic when her muscles had formed and hardened, her body toned with skills. Once, she caught his ankle and flipped him to the ground, rolling onto his stomach with a switch blade to his throat. He was left surprised and winded, but grinned and congratulated his pupil on her success in knocking him down.

When they reached seven months, she eventually introduced him to her Nanan. Kimblee proved he was a young man capable of using manners and holding polite conversation.  He had grown a few more inches taller, his build tougher and hair longer-now often tied back into a ponytail. He even made Nanan blush at one point, earning a scolding from Elena afterwards for his light teasings. Sitting on the porch, they drank a cool glass of lemonade, the summer heat sinking into their skins. Jackey suddenly emerged by Elena’s side, purring against her calf for attention.

“Hey Jackey..” The young teen reached down to stroke at the feline’s spine, earning soft purrs of approval. Zolf wore a plan white tee, sipping at the cold drink to keep his body cool from the heat wave. His blue eyes landed on the cat before drifting up to Elena.

“Why is your cat named Jackey?” That brought a faint smile of amusement to Elena, which hadn’t escaped Nanan’s sight. How Kimblee had managed to crack at the ice around that girl’s heart and bring out the warmer shades of her smiles was a miracle to her.

“Dad had an interesting sense of humor..” She drawled, fingers stroking at Jackeys ears.

“Meaning..?” Zolf motioned her with his glass to continue, the melting ice clinking at the motion.

“You remember Jack the Ripper? The one who killed prostitutes and so on?”

“Yes. I remember reading about him. Why?”

“Think. Jackey and Jack.”

“Why would he name your cat after Jack the Ripper..?” Zolf turned some in his spot in the shade of the patio, motioning for Jackey to come to him. The cat complied, wanting to be petted. Elena shrugged, laying down beside him in a similar manner, the cat resting between them. “Dad liked reading up on those serial killers and apparently he was into Jack at the time and chose to name the kitten I wanted Jack. Of course when we found out Jack was a girl, we renamed her Jackey. And that’s pretty much how she got her name.” She took another sip of her drink, adding more absentmindedly. “Mom scolded him for reading me such biographies.. But I didn’t mind them and he said they were more informative then fairytale books. I think that made her angrier at us both..”

“What a surprise.”

“Hm?” She blinked owlishly. “What?”

“Your parents,” He propped his head onto his palm, blue eyes lingering on her face patiently. “It’s **rare** that I hear you talking about them.”

“You never asked.” She mumbled the excuse, knowing it was a poor but grateful that he didn’t press the issue. Instead, he reached out, fingering the silver chain around her neck, the pendant hidden beneath the upper hemline of her dress. He tugged it out, tracing the designs idly. Elena made no move to stop him.

“What were they like..?” She blinked, grey eyes watchful. When he lifted those intense blue eyes to look at her, she felt stuck. “Well.. What do you want to know?”

“Well I know a bit about you..” He flipped over the jewel, fingers brushing over the inscription on the back. “But I’d like to learn more.”

“Mom was a nurse. She liked helping others and was really good at her job from what I heard. She told me she met dad in the infirmary and that he was a common visitor because of his anemia. At some point, he brought her flowers as thanks and the two agreed to go out. She said his idea of proposing was when he crafted a ring for her himself using alchemy.” Kimblee said nothing, watching when she lifted her hand and bended her ring finger. “It was beautiful. A blend of silver and gold with one diamond in its center, mom said she treasured it more because he made it and not the properties of the ring. Dad was shy to begin with, but when she told the story he looked pretty proud. They were an odd couple I guess, but.. They had love, that much at least, I _knew_.”

“So your dad was an Alchemist?” At some point in her brief explanation, he had moved closer. Elena now propped her head on his forearm.

“Mhm. He was a professor at the University and he studied bio-alchemy and how to manipulate plants. It’s a fascinating process. He was hoping to use his research to aid the military with a new form of healing alchemy.”  

“Like medical alchemy?” That certainly caught his interest.

“Yeah, though he still had a few ways to go and studied what resources he had on Alkahestry too.”

“The man was passionate.” That earned him a soft giggle. “Sure. If you count holing yourself up in a desk and being scolded by your wife for missing your meals.” She paused, recalling the image of his form, how the fire licked at his features. How he had wept. Something in her chest tightened and she silently pushed the memory away.

“What I don’t understand is that if your home is next door, why not go back?”

“You want to go back to a hollow home?” She closed her eyes, now resting her head beneath the crook of his neck comfortably. While one of his hands fiddled with her necklace, his other hand stroked at her scarlet hair. “That house isn’t my home Zolf.. It’s just a house now.”

He was smart enough not to fish any further, having winced at her earlier question. So she rested there against him, feeling his finger brushing up and down her arm in a lulling pattern. She eventually learned that Kimblee was a wealthy child, but not in a comfortable home environment. His father refused to raise him and had him enroll into the military school the moment he was able. Because his father suffered an inferiority complex against alchemist, he felt insulted when his son began developing and crafting such talents. Kimblee didn’t seem to mind, clearly up for the challenge in showing up his father.

“Elena..”

“Hm?”

“Do you believe.. Someone can be born a monster? “

“No.” And with that, she fell asleep, faintly hearing him chuckle and the warmth of his breath against her forehead.

 

* * *

 

 

He had done himself proud with Elena, the girl quickly blossoming into a beautiful rose before his very eyes. Her hair fell past her waist, a rich color of scarlet. Every so often she would braid it or leave it in a ponytail at the base of her head. Those lashes became longer, drawing male attention when she walked, capturing the hearts of many men with her mercury gaze. Even if she wasn’t aware of it, Kimblee certainly was. Hell, he found it amusing when one guy tried flirting with her and she simply batted her lashes and left him speechless. She was quick with her steps, studying her own alchemy and training with him occasionally. Every day she advanced more and more, and he felt proud as a mentor of her accomplishments. Now Kimblee had has his share of dates, even when he had tutored and instructed Elena. A part of him thought she’d get just a tad jealous, maybe he had even _hoped_ for it. Instead, he was simply given a cold shoulder or she’d tell him to call her when he wasn’t fooling around.

And yet, she refused to indulge herself with anyone. So focused and determined, and he _liked_ that. Liked how she would remain focused and how she’d flash him a smile of excitement whenever she felt she had accomplished something. Once, she laughed when he had crafted a mild explosion meant to soften the ground and fell into a ditch of water. Normally he would’ve snapped at her to shut up, but seeing her giggling and holding her sides with so much mirth, he didn’t have the heart. She didn't smile as much as she should.

But such thoughts should never linger in his mind. After all, this was only a way for him to kill time. A chance to study Alchemy and master it while studying it with another potential candidate. 

When he was waiting for her in Nanan’s house, helping set the table for dinner, the older woman was used to his visits, even if Elena was present or not. And while he wouldn’t voice it aloud, he could admit that she was very kind and truly cared for the Elena’s well being, and even his own from how she welcomed him. He saw a young man walking with her down the street, one of the more persistent of swains. He started peeling at the potato with the blade, watching from the kitchen window how she tried to dissuade him, to Kimblee’s amusement.

The man grabbed her arms and tried kissing her. His grip on the blade tightened, but he continued peeling the skin of the vegetable. This wasn’t the first time one of those love-stricken dogs had caught onto her scent. Tried moving in closer to her, only to be rejected or warded off by his presence. And yet the idea that.. That someone else would get intimate with her bothered him. He frowned, his gaze lingering on the scene before him. Elena had raised her hand to block him and told him something. He couldn’t exactly read her lips from this distance, but saw that she had a look of disapproval. _Fool_.

When she started walking, this time the young man didn’t follow. Good.

What. The. _Hell_.

He patiently went back to preparing the potato salad, pretending never to have noticed her come inside and set her bags on the floor by the stairs. He felt her gaze lingering on his back, but once again gave off an air of indifference.  “I'm home.”

“Welcome home.” He heard Nanan say in greeting. He acknowledged her arrival with a wave of his knife, turning the faucet to rinse the peeled potatoes.

"Anything interesting happen at school today dear?" Nanan voiced his unspoken thought. He heard the sound of Elena walking towards him, but no longer felt her gaze prickling his neck. "Not really." He turned then to look at her. _Little liar._ Mercury eyes locked on him then, her lips quirking into a faint smile. Had she known he was watching? Now what could be going on in that devious mind of hers?

"Are those potatoes peeled Zolf?" Her question completely innocent. He smiled back, well practiced in the art of deception by now. "Yes. Though I am looking forward to what secret dish your Nanan is making in the oven."

"It's a secret." Nanan insisted impishly. "Now Elena you go freshen up, we're almost done here." 

Elena shifted the faucet's neck to the empty side of the sink, washing her hands calmly. "And how was your day Zolf?"

“Rather uneventful.” He answered, handing Nanan the bowl of potatoes to prep. Elena hummed, rinsing her hands of the soap. "So nothing interesting happened while I was in school? Sounds boring." He kept his smile in place, shrugging. "Nothing that would interest _you_ , I'm sure."

"Won't even humor me?" She leaned back to tilt her head up to his face and he froze at the sudden proximity between them. Kimblee caught a feminine scent of fresh rain and orchids. _Wow_. “Though I suppose your right, perhaps today was simply an uneventful evening for us both, hm?” And when she smiled, he shook his head and used his elbow to urge her back to arranging the table. “Looks like.” 

Honestly, what a _troublesome_ girl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Elena's father had a way with studying serial killers and psychopaths. It's a wonder he did what he did in the previous chapter's ne? Or not.
> 
> Seem's like there's something more going on that they don't want to admit yet ne? Next chapter, we learn more about Kimblee's family situation and Elena finds herself in trouble by an unsavory group. What will happen when she see's the truth within kimblee next chapter?

**Author's Note:**

> Rate and review~!  
> Disclaimer: I do not own fmab or it's characters~!


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